Container with sliding cap



Dec. 6, 1938; M. c. LAWSON 2,139,085

CONTAINER WITH SLIDING CAP Filed Aug. 51, 1957 Z21 I lon C. Zowcon 40 I 9 7 1 m fiazorneys.

Patented Dec. 6, 1938 "UNITED STATES PATENT orrics 6 Claims.

My invention relatesto a sliding cap construction for containers such as the collapsible tube type inwhich material is expelled 'from the tube by squeezing the same to collapse the walls. There are anumber of diiferent designs of sliding caps provided for such type of collapsible and also rigid containers but my invention includes features which it is maintained are a distinct technical advance in this art. For instance the sliding cap is provided with a closure type of dome and an open space surrounded by a wall structure and isslidably mounted on the neck of thecap by interengaging flanges and grooves. Therefore in my construction the cap cannot he accidentally removed or lost from the container although a directstraight line motion moves the 'cap from its closed toits open position, nevertheless the confining 'wallat the open section prevents removal of the cap. Another characteristic of my invention is that the cap is of such a design thatit may bemade of somewhat resilient material, the side walls can be pressed outwardly sufilcient to 'fit over the neck and have inturned flanges engage in guide grooves following along the neck at the top of the container. In addi tion the cap being provided with a sealing pad such as cork may be wedged tightly in the closed position due to a relative slope of the guide grooves'andthedome part of the cap. In addition'the edge of the closure'dome adjacent the open section has a slight down turn and is sufficiently resilient that it is forced slightly upwardly to ride over the top of the neck when opening the cap construction and when the cap is in the closed position ridesdownwardly to hold the 'cap firmly in the closed and sealed position.

Another feature of my invention is that the 'cap is made of 'a-single integral'material having acertain resiliency and such material is therefore of a type which may be molded by either a die press or a. hot pressing operation and thus the cap'may be made of attractive material.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a cap and container as if taken in the direction of the arrow 1 of Fig. 2 with the cap in the closed position.

Fig. 2 is a plan taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation as if taken in the direction of the arrow 3 of Fig. 4 showing the cap in the open position.

Fig. 4 is a plan taken in the direction of the arrow 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on. the

line 5 5 of Fig. 1 through the dome portion of h Fig. 6 is avertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3 through the open or walled section of a cap. r

I Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 1-- of Fig. 4. V

In my invention a collapsible tube is designated by the assembly numeral ll. This has a contracted top portion l2 with a flat upper surface [3, this being on a slope relative to an angle line 14 between the wall structure l5 and the upper portion l2 of the cap. The neck 16 has a small oval opening Il with a seating rim I8 at the top.' The outside surface [9 of the side walls of the neck diverge from this rim and at opposite ends 20 and 2| (note Fig. '7) join the top surface l3. Atthe sides there are formed two opposite guide grooves 22, the grooves being formed directly above the top l3 so that this acts as a bearing and confining surface.

The cap structure designated by the assembly numeral has a dome or closure section 3i and an open section 32. The dome portion isjcharacterized by a sloping end wall 33, opposite side. walls 34, the top portion of the dome and a downwardly extending edge 36. The open section is characterized by the two side walls 3'11 and the end wall 38. The sides 34 and Sleach have inturned flanges 39. There is also a slight inturned flange at the end wall 38. This wall is concave on its outside surface 'to facilitate engagement by the thumb. There is a smooth uninterrupted curve connecting the sides 31 of the open section and the sides 34 of the dome, this curve having a smooth reverse at the end 33. The top edge 4| of the sides 3'! is slightly below the rim edge I'B of the neck. a

The dome part of the cap is provided with a recess'45, this having a dove-tail type of undercut and in this there is fitted a compressible pad 41, suchas cork, this cork fitting againstthe edge l8 when the cap is in the closed position. It will be noted by the construction that the top surface I3 is at a slight slope relative to the seating rim 18 of the neck developing a. type of wedging action in the closing of the cap. One of the features that facilitates the tight seal is that the end 3'6 of the dome part is curved slightly downwardly to engage the upper part of the neck. The hole of the cap is made of somewhat resilient or slightly flexible material molded to shape so that the sides may be spread apart to facilitate slipping over the neck of the container and engage the flange 39 in the grooves 22. By this construction the cap is secured to the container.

The action of the cap is as follows: presuming this is in the closed position of Figs. 1, 3 and 7, the wedging action between the grooves 22 defined on one side by the slope l3 of the top of the container and the edge l8, brings the pad 41 into tight seating relation to the seating rim l8 of the neck. The end 36 extends downwardly slightly below the surface of the edge l8. When it is desired to open the cap the thumb may be pressed against the end 38 and through the cap from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 3. The sliding is confined to a straight line by the interengaging flanges 39 in grooves 22. The end 36 of the dome part is forced slightly upwardly, it being flexible enough for this purpose and rides on the upper edge I8 of the neck until the cap is in the full open position. This brings the oval opening I"! of the neck into alignment with the open space 48 which is defined by a portion of the flanges 39. The material may then be discharged from the tube. On account of the upper edge 4| of the sides 3'! being slightly below the edge l8, this may be cleaned after using and before closing the cap. A pressure on the end 33 forces the cap to the closed position causing the edge 36 to ride over the rim surface l8 and to be again brought to the position shown in Fig. '7 in which the pad 41 has a close and sealing contact with this edge l8.

One of the objects of having the edge 36 of the cap slightly downturned to lift upwardly when riding on the rim surface I8 is that in opening the cap, this slightly lifts the cork or similar pad slightly above such edge l8 and hence there is no tendency to rumple this pad or to have it scraped off the dome portion. In addition when the cap is being closed, this slight edge lifts the cork from direct rubbing contact with the rim I8.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device as described, the combination of a container having a neck with guide grooves on the sides, a cap having a dome having sides and a wall construction having an opening, the sides of the dome and the wall construction having inturned flanges engaging in the said grooves, the grooves guiding the cap in sliding from an open to a'closed position, the dome having a recess therein with a sealing pad and a downwardly extending edge to engage the top of the neck during the opening and closing of the cap to slightly displace the pad from the neck.

2. In a device as described, the combination of a container having a neck provided with grooves on opposite sides, a cap having a dome construction with sides, end and top portion, two side walls extending from the sides of the dome and connected by an end wall, there being an opening between the side and end walls, the sides of the dome and the side walls having inturned flanges sliding in the guide grooves, the whole of the cap being formed integral, the dome at one end of the top portion having a downwardly extending edge, the said edge and the sides and side walls being somewhat resilient to permit distortion, the said edge engaging the neck slightly below the top when the cap is in the closed position.

3. In a device as described, the combination of 10 a container having a neck provided with grooves on opposite sides, a cap having a dome construction with sides, end and top portion, two side walls extending from the sides of the dome and connected by an end wall, there being an opening 1 between the side and end walls, the sides of the dome and the side walls having inturned flanges sliding in the guide grooves, the whole of the cap being formed integral, the top portion of the cap having an undercut with a sealing pad fitted therein, the said downwardly extending end of the top being positioned slightly below the pad to ride on the top edge of the neck during the opening and closing of the cap.

4. In a device as described, the combination of a container having a top surface with a neck extending thereabove, the neck having a rim, the said top surface and the rim converging towards one end of the neck, the neck on opposite sides having guide grooves parallel to the top of theo container, a cap having a dome section with a top portion, two side walls and an end, all merging on a gradual curve, the cap having an open section defined by side walls extending from the sides of the dome and a transverse end wall, the sides of the dome and the said side walls having an inturned flange on each side operating in the groove of the neck whereby in sliding the cap relative to the neck, the wedging action is developed for seating the cap.

5. In a device as described, a cap to form a sliding closure on a container characterized by a dome structure with a top, side and end portions merging by gradual curves and having an open portion with side walls and a transverse end, the side walls merging with the sides of the dome, the sides of the dome and the side walls having inturned flanges, the material of the sides and side Walls being somewhat resilient and adapted to spread in fitting on a neck of a container having a pair of guide grooves.

6. In a device as described and claimed in claim 5, the top portion of the dome'having a slightly downturned end adjacent the open section of the cap, the top portion having a sealing pad fitted 5 therein, the said end edge being somewhat resilient and adapted to ride on and off the upper edge of the neck of a container and when riding on the edge of the neck, to slightly lift the pad in the sliding movement of the cap. r y

MARION CHARLES LAWSON. 

